House Rules

A Novel

De: Jodi Picoult

Narrado por: Mark Turetsky, Rich Orlow, Nicole Poole, Christopher Evan Welch, Andy Paris

The astonishing novel from the number-one New York Times best-selling author Jodi Picoult about a young boy with autism falsely accused of murder.

When your son can't look you in the eye...does that mean he's guilty?

Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subject - forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he's always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he's usually right.

But when Jacob's small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob's behaviors are hallmark Asperger's, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight. For Jacob's mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob.

And over this small family, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?

©2010 Jodi Picoult. All rights reserved. "I Shot the Sheriff" (c)1974 Fifty-Six Hope Road Music Ltd. and Odnil Music Ltd. All rights administered by Blue Mountain Music. Ltd. (P)2017 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Mother who Excels, Two Brothers who Learn to Cope

This is by far the best novel that I have read in several months. It had three dimensions that were all handled with great talent. It was an excellent mystery with a plot that kept the reader well engaged. There was an intimate look at a family made up of a single mother, one son with Asperger's syndrome and the younger normal son. Both sons are brilliant in their way. The third dimension that the author develops well is her cast of characters. The mother reminded of my own mother, she feels deeply for the social pain her asperger son endures, but is committed to doing whatever is necessary to make him as independent as possible and help him cope with his social challenges. She does not rationalize away her responsibilities to her son, but explores every way to help this eighteen year old man grow into his own. The author is extremely knowledgeable concerning the Autism spectrum. I probably learned as much about the spectrum as I have from the several nonfiction books on the subject that I read/listened to. The author has also done a fine job of creating the mother. She seems to use a composite of the mothers of the disabled who choose not to rationalize their surrender from the responsibility that every parent has to make your child as independent of that parent. As all good parents know this is a job not finished until death calls for that parent. ...

Not the ending I expected!

This novel started a bit slow but eventually delivered in true Jodi P. Form...pulling at the heart, complex characters, moral dilemma, and of course, learning something along the way. “What would I do? “ This is what I think after every JP novel. Definitely a good read overall!

Spot on and a great story!

As a mother of a child on the spectrum this story summed up life perfectly. The struggles and fears that my kiddo faces and that I face with him. The teasing, the accusations, the comments about him being "different". This story made me laugh and made me sad but I was able to relate to so much of it. What a great story!

great book, not my favorite Picoult, but good

very well written as to be expected from this great author. what i love about picoult books is they really tackle issues people do not want to talk about but that are so real.... this didn't disappoint in adding perspective to those touched by having a sort of relationship with someone on the autism scale.... but i think i was hoping for something else with this book... but it was very well written.

Seeing through another's eyes

I enjoyed this story. The performance , the story all of it. I wish there had been more after the solution came around. I wanted to hear more.
Seeing life through someone else's eyes is what I got out of this book. I wondered how the author was able to put down in words all the different perceptions. From Jacob, a clearly clever and gifted, yet troubled boy. To put herself in Emma's place as his mother. The love and devotion she had. The compassion and love of her boys.
I was able to predict the outcome, but that's ok because I enjoyed the story immensely.
I only wish it had gone on afterward.

Amazing!

Where does House Rules rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Definitely one of the top!!!!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jacob - because he so accurately depicted the life of a boy with Asperger's. Being a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist myself, I have a lot of experience working with this population - but I could never explain to someone what a kid with Asperger's goes through as well as Ms. Picoult did in her perfect depiction of the disorder.

Which scene was your favorite?

Theo's birthday - don't want to give away any spoilers

Any additional comments?

This was one of the best books I have listened to/read in a LONG time. Not only was the story captivating and always keeping you at the end of your seat, but the narrators did perfect renditions of what I would imagine the characters would have sounded like. Ms. Picoult really outdid herself with the details and research that must have gone into putting together an accurate depiction of Asperger's as this one was. I do wish the ending had been a little more clear though - but again, I know that's also part of what makes the story so great. I was disappointed to finish this book and not have any more of it left to listen to anymore - that's when you know you've just finished an amazing book!

Kept me guessing!

I could not put it down. It was very entertaining but also opened my eyes to autism and effects on the family

the detail and facts about asperger syndrome and a glimpse of what it is like for the person and the family.

great story, well written, liked the character viewpoints. great audio rendition. would highly recommend and it would make a really good movie.

Another great Picoult read

Jodi Picoult did it again. A serious topic presented from several different angles in an intriguing mystery.

Not her best but still worth a listen

Very engaging story, but wrapped up very very fast and left a lot of small holes in the plot. Rich’s fascination w/ the advice column...all the legal proceedings that followed the last minute revelations...the victim’s dad was a senator but that was a non-issue once the investigation got started...
Still it kept me glued until that last somewhat disappointing 20 minutes. I’d figured out The Who-dun-it pretty early on but the journey was still enjoyable. Would have liked 1 more piece about how it all ended rather than the reader having to imagine it. Excellent research by the author on autism & living with it & living with someone who lives with it. I truly felt like I have a better view of the world through the senses of a child with autism (and I’m a child therapist so that’s saying a lot!).